"The Bakken" oil shale formation of North Dakota, Montana and Saskatchewan,

"The Bakken" oil shale formation of North Dakota, Montana and Saskatchewan,

I saw a pickup truck in a parking lot here in Minnesota with two bumper stickers referring to the Bakken. "the Bakken" is the name of a huge area under North Dakota, Montana, USA and Saskatchewan, Canada where oil drilling is underway. Here is an article on Wiki that tells about "the Bakken"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakken_formation

I was curious about the origin of the name. It comes from a Norwegian immigrant Otto L. Bakken, and his son Henry O. Bakken. It seems a well drilled at Tioga ND on their farm in the early 1950's was the discovery of "The Bakken" formation of shale oil in Western North Dakota/ Eastern Montana and Sask. Canada. Just curious, since Norwegian genealogy is a hobby.

Found this has been posted in the year 2000, before the Bakken was quite so busy. I'm curious about where in Norway this Bakken name originated? It's a farm name for someplace in Norway.

I don't know if this will help you at all but I just happened to have looked up something on the Census today for a friend and happened to run across your post while searching for info for this friend. On the 1910 and 1920 Census that I copied for my friend there are next door neighbors in Tioga named Bakken. Perhaps these might be connected to yours??1920 Census ED 253 sheet 12 Tioga, Williams Co., ND

wife Marie age 52 immigrated 1870 born in Norway.kids:Ludwig Bakken age 31 born in MinnesotaAlfred Bakken age 25 born in MinnesotaOscar Bakken age 24 born in MinnesotaHenry Bakken age 18 born in MinnesotaHarry Bakken age 17 born in MinnesotaRichard Bakken age 14 born in MinnesotaAgnes Bakken age 11 born in North DakotaMary Bakken age 9 born in North DakotaOtto Bakken age 7 born in North Dakotaall listed as Farmers or farm laborers

1910 Census ED 220 sheet 14 Tioga, Williams Co., North Dakota

Bakken, Otto , age 49, married one time, married 21 years, born in Norway, this Census says immigrated 1884.wife Mary, age 41 , married once, 21 years, has given birth to 11 children and 10 are still living, born in Norway, Immigrated in 1876(must have married in Minnesota)kids:Anna Bakken, age 21, born in MinnesotaLudwig Bakken, age 20, born in MNAlfred Bakken, age 16, born in MNOscar Bakken, age 10, born in MNHenry Bakken, age 9, born in MNHarry Bakken, age 8, born in MNRichard Bakken, age 4 born in MNAgnes Bakken, age 2, born in ND

I noticed the oldest sons name is Ludwig, and if the children were named according to Norwegian custom, Ludwig (or a version of that) would be the paternal grandfather's first name, so Otto L. Bakken would have possibly been Otto Ludwigsen from Bakken farm, somewhere in Norway. Or Otto Larsen Bakken?

It's interesting to me that this well known place in central North America actually bears the name which was probably a farm name somewhere in Norway.